Electric cigar lighter



United States Patent 3,235,707 ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Laurence G. Horwitt, New Haven, Conn., assignor to Casco Products Corporation, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Oct. 14, 1963, Ser- No. 315,744 1 Claim. (Cl. 219-270) The present invention relates to an electric cigar lighter of the type having an igniting plug that is positionable in a socket in either an energizing or storage position and whch is removable therefrom for use.

One type of such lghter that has heretofore been proposed has an igniting coil on the removable plug with the coil consisting of a length of resistance wire that is spirally wound to provide a substantially flat igniting surface on the side of the coil. The plug is positioned at its energizing position within the socket and electric current is passed through the resistance wire to cause it to become incandescent at which time the plug is removed from the socket and the incandescent igniting coil is employed to ignite tobacco as by placing the end of a cigarette or cigar against the flat igniting surface. While such lighters have been found satisfactory, it of course will be appreciated that the length of time which the plug can ignite tobacco is a factor of satisfaction but is limited by the duration which it maintains its incandescence. This s sometimes referred to as the cherry red factor, and is specifically the length of time that the lighter, after energization has ceased, is capable of igniting tobacco and hence maintains its igniting temperature. Another factor is the maintenance of an even temperature throughout the igniting surface without any area on the igniting surface being cooler than the others which may cause unsatisfactory operation as by the sticking of tobacco thereto.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide in an electric cigar lighter of the above type for a construction of the igniting plug in which the cherry red factor or the duration after energization which the lighter may satisfactorily ignite tobacco is increased, over that ofv heretofore proposed constructions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric cigar lighter in which the igniting coil is substantially uniformly heated throughout its igniting surface,

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric cigar lighter of the above type in which the above objects are obtained with only a minimum change in the structure of lighters being presently manufactured and in which such changes may be economically mass produced.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided an electric cigar lighter that includes an igniting plug which is energized in a socket and removed therefrom for use, the energizing causing a spirally Wound length of resistance wire to approach or be at incandescent temperatures. The resistance wire coil, according to the present invention, is mounted within and adjacent the entrance of a metallic cup that is secured onto one end of the plug, the other end of the plug being provided with a handle or knob. The cup is substantially deeper than the thickness of the coil with one end of the coil being secured adjacent the entrance to the cup while the other end of the coil extends inwardly into the cup to be secured adjacent the bottom of the cup but electrically insulated therefrom. Thus current may pass from the cup to one end of the coil through the coil to the inner end and hence to the other side of the current supply.

In accordance with the present invention the coil is mount-ed adjacent the entrance to the cup and there is defined between the bottom of the cup and the inner surface ice of the coil, an air chamber which, as will be hereinafter appreciated, increases the cherry red factor of the coil and enables the coil to heat and cool uniformly. Moreover, to eliminate cool spots on the igniting surface of the coil, the inner end portion of the coil together with an adjacent turn or two is recessed within this air chamber and secured thereto by a headed member that passes through the bottom of the cup. For preventing the coil from being displaced inwardly by pressure of tobacco thereagainst, a supporting structure is provided that engages the cup and also the inner surface of the coil to limit movement of the latter towards the former.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of an electric cigar lighter, partly in section, showing an igniting plug located at its storage position within a socket.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the igniting coil and adjacent portions of the plug, somewhat enlarged from FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an end view looking in the direction 3-3 of FIG. 2 of the igniting plug.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a further modification of the electric cigar lighter of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the electric cigar lighter of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and includes an igniting plug 11 that is positionable within a socket 12. The socket 12 includes a cylindrical well 13 having a flanged open end 14 and a closed bottom end 15. Located within the well 13 at the closed end 15 is a spider 16 formed with a plurality of bimetallic fingers 16a which are, as will be hereinafter appreciated, adapted to control energization of the plug. The socket is shown secured in an aperture 17 formed in a supporting structure 18 by the flanged open end 14 engaging one side of the support 18 and an end 19 of a substantially cylindrical clamping member 20 engaging the other. The clamping member 20 and the well 13 are cooperatively threaded as at 21 to enable relative movement between the two parts and thus effectuate the clamping of the support therebetween.

The igniting plug 11 includes a knob 22 located at one end of the plug and a metallic cup 23 secured at the other end. The other structure of the plug includes a sleeve 24 together with a spring 25 and an intermediate portion 26 interposed between the cup 23 and the knob 22 and to which both are secured.

In carrying out the present invention, there is mounted adjacent the entrance of the cup 23, an igniting coil 27 formed by spirally winding a length of resistance wire relatively tightly so as to produce a flat igniting surface 28. The outer end portion 29 of the igniting coil 27 is secured both mechanically and electrically as by welding to the interior of the cup while the inner end portion 30 of the coil is secured in a slot 31 formed in a headed member or rivet 32. The rivet passes through an aperture 33 formed in the bottom of the cup but is insulated therefrom as by insulation 34- and additionally has a flanged bottom part 35 that engages the inside of the intermediate portion 26 to thus secure the cup and the intermediate portion together.

In use, the igniting plug 11 is positioned in the socket 12 and moved from its storage position shown to its energizing position, as by leftward movement in the socket in FIG. 1 to have the bimetallic fingers 16a grasp the forward exterior surface 36 of the cup. While holding the cup, electric current passes from the fingers to the cup, through the coil 27 to the rivet 32 through the intermediate portion 26 to the sleeve 24 and thence to the other side of the electric current supply. Upon the bimetallic fingers becoming heated by the temperature of the coil becoming incandescent, they spread apart releasing the clamping action on the cup 23 and enabling the spring 25 to return the plug to its storage position, at which time the plug may be withdrawn from the socket and employed to ignite tobacco.

It will be appreciated that in this type of cigar lighter that energization of the igniting coil is only effected when it is in its energizing position and thus it is essential that the coil retain its tobacco igniting temperature for a'relatively long duration in order to enable one or more lightings of tobacco to be accomplished. To increase the retention of incandescence of the coil 27, the present invention provides for forming the cup 23 to be relatively deep and positioning the coil 27 adjacent the entrance, the latter being generally indicated by the reference numeral 37. It will thus be appreciated that between the inner surface 38 of the coil and the bottom 39 of the cup there is an air chamber formed and this air chamber serves to decrease the conduction of heat between the coil 27 and the other metallic parts of the lighter. As shown, the air chamber is at least as deep as the coil is thick, and in the embodiment shown is approximately three times as deep.

In order to increase the mechanical rigidity of the coil and limit inward displacement thereof when tobacco is pressed against the coil, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a flat disk of electrically insulating material 40 is positioned in the cup to have the inner surface 38 bear thereagainst. Thedisk 40 is supported at its outer edges in a step 41 formed in the cup and is sufficiently thick so that it has enough rigidity to Withstand the pressing of a cigarette and/or tobacco against the coil Without substantial flexing or displacement. Moreover, the disk 40 is provided with a central aperture 42 through which the end portion 30 and its adjacent turns 43 of the coil may pass to enable securement of the end portion to the rivet 32.

In the embodiment of the invention shOWn in FIG. 4, the supporting member for the coil rather than being a disk, consists of a tubular member 44 of sufiicient length to have its inner end 45 engage the bottom of the cup and its outer end 46 engage the few turns adjacent the periphery of the coil 27.

In both embodiments of the invention, herein disclosed and described, it will be appreciated that the cup is formed so that there is an air chamber of substantial depth formed between the inner surface of the coil and the bottom of the cup. This air chamber serves to substantially increase the duration of time which the igniting coil retains its incandescent temperature. This is believed to be achieved by the air chamber constituting a heat insulation that limits the conduction of heat between the coil and associated parts of the plug.

The disk 40 is preferably formed from a material which in addition to being relatively rigid is also electrically insulating, has poor heat conduction and can withstand the temperature of the incandescent coil. In addition it is preferably formed to have a heat reflecting surface. One material which has these characteristics and has been found particularly useful in the present invention is sheet mica as it can withstand the hot temperatures of the coil without being deformed or losing its characteristics. The tubular support member 44 may of course also be formed from mica but it has been found that ceramic material, cast or molded to the shape shown, may also be employed.

With the present structure it has also been found that the igniting surface of the coil tends to be uniformly heated. Thus the turns 43 and the end portion 30 which in addition to being electrically connected to the rivet 32 are also of course mechanically connected so that heat may be easily conducted from the coil to t r t T turns however, are positioned within the cup and hence do not appear in the igniting surface of the coil and accordingly do not produce an area of the igniting surface which would normally be cooler than the other portions of the igniting surface of the coil.

It will accordingly be appreciated that there has been disclosed an electric cigar lighter of the type in which an igniting plug is heated by electric current in a socket to have its igniting coil become incandescent. U-pon removal from the socket the igniting coil is employed to ignite tobacco. According to the present invention there has been a substantial increase in the duration, after energization, during which the igniting coil maintains its incandescence, thus permitting more lightings of tobacco, by the utilization of a heat insulating chamber between the igniting coil and a metallic cup in which the coil is positioned. Thus the chamber serves to decrease the heat conduction between the coil and the other parts of the lighter. Moreover, the coil is caused to maintain its substantially flat igniting surface by an electric heat insulating member that is positioned in the cup and adapted to engage at least a portion of the inner surface of the coil to limit the inward displacement thereof.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

An electric cigar lighter including an igniting plug adapted to be energized in a socket and removed therefrom for use, said plug including an intermediate portion, a knob secured at one end of said intermediate portion, a cup having an open entrance, a cylindrical side wall and a bottom, means including a headed member for securing the bottom of said cup to the other end of said intermediate portion, a coil of resistance wire having an outer end and an inner end, said coil comprising a substantially flat spirally wound igniting portion having an outer igniting surface and an inner surface and extending from said outer end to an innermost convolution of said igniting portion, and a connecting portion of relatively short length in comparison to the length of said igniting portion connected to said innermost convolution of said igniting portion and extending substantially straight inwardly of said igniting portion and terminating at said inner end, whereby substantially the entire length of said coil is contained within said igniting portion and only said connecting portion is in said cup beneath the inner surface of said igniting portion, means securing said coil in said cup with said igniting portion adjacent the entrance of said cup and including a securement between the outer end portion and the cup and a securement adjacent the bottom of said cup between the inner end and the headed member, said cup being relatively deep to space the inner surface of said igniting portion a substantial distance from said bottom and relatively wide to radially space the side wall of said cup a substantial distance from said connecting portion to define a relatively large and substantially unobstructed air chamber therebetween and surrounding said connecting portion, and means for supporting said coil to resist inward displacement thereof into said chamber.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,637,799 5/1953 Wood 219265 2,778,915 1/1957 Jorgensen 219-270 2,828,400 3/1958 Jorgensen et a1. 219264 3,012,127 12/1961 Crumb 21 9265 RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner. 

